Simon Hughes: Lord Rennard sex claims are getting too much 'oxygen'

The sexual harassment allegations against Lord Rennard are getting too much
"oxygen" and could be the result of a dirty tricks campaign before the
Eastleigh by-election, the Lib Dem deputy leader has suggested.

Lord Rennard, the former chief executive of the Liberal Democrats.Photo: Getty Images

Simon Hughes, a senior Lib Dem MP, said he is "suspicious" that allegations dating back up to 10 years have only just been made against the peer.

He said the accusations must be properly investigated to get to the bottom of whether the party dealt with them properly but warned against "trial by innuendo".

Asked by the BBC whether he has reservations about the timing of the allegations, Mr Hughes said: "Personally I am suspicious given the allegations related back to some years ago and nothing had been heard before.

"The fact that they have surfaced literally ten days before a byelection seems to me to be a strange coincidence. I notice the people who are giving this story continuing oxygen are papers that are known to be supporters of parties other than ourselves."

Mr Hughes made the comments as he joined the by-election campaign trail in Eastleigh on the day several Lib Dems withdrew from visits.

Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and Baroness Williams both pulled out of scheduled events, as the Liberal Democrats came under pressure to explain their handling of the allegations. Nick Clegg made a fleeting visit to do two local broadcast interviews but did not speak to local voters.

Mr Hughes denied the party's policitians were "on the run" amid the spiralling crisis around who had been told about the Lord Rennard allegations.

Mr Hughes' claim that his party is the victim of a dirty tricks campaign echoes suggestions by Tim Farron, the Lib Dem president, who said this morning: "People can make various guesses about the motivations of the media."

Yesterday Nick Clegg said he would "respect the women" involved in the case but defend the party against "a show trial of innuendo, half-truths and slurs".